MaliQ is knowledgeable dancer/singer residing and dealing in NYC. He’s a strong performer with a myriad of credit on his resume. His dancing is grounded but expansive, classical but up to date. He’s a kind of distinctive artists who can transfer fluidly from one type of dance to a different. His superpower? Versatility.
A local of Pittsburgh, PA, MaliQ started his coaching when he was 9. He studied ballet, jazz, acro and faucet, and at age 11 attended Rogers Center College for the Artistic and Performing Arts. There, he started to check fashionable and quite a lot of different dance types. He continued finding out ballet in addition to character dance on scholarship at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. At age 12, after a transfer to Florida, he attended center and excessive colleges for the humanities.
As a pupil, dance was only a pastime. “I by no means noticed it as a viable choice, or profession,” MaliQ says. “I by no means noticed dancers who seemed like me, a black boy. It wasn’t till I noticed the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that I noticed I may very well be knowledgeable dancer. I made a decision I used to be going to bounce in that firm.”
He attended Juilliard, which is world-famous for its wealthy curriculum in ballet, up to date, fashionable, improvisation and dance composition. At Juilliard, he felt his world develop. He understood he might dance in Ailey, but additionally in European firms, and even operas. He had dabbled in all the pieces as a younger pupil, however faculty was a real revelation. “I wished to style just a little little bit of all the pieces!” he says thoughtfully. “It helped me notice that if I wished a style of all the pieces on the buffet, I wanted to be as well-rounded a dancer as I might.”
After graduating from Juilliard, he apprenticed on the Limón Dance Firm. “It was fairly a formative time for me. I had simply completed at Juilliard, which left me triumphant but damaged, and in my head, this was really the start for me. Little did I do know it could be one in every of my most difficult years. I realized a lot, from the continuation of my approach coaching to current myself professionally.”
At Limón, there was a big turnover of dancers. Half of the corporate was model new, recent out of faculty, whereas the opposite half had been veterans with years of expertise. The assorted ranges of maturity, expertise and expertise added to the richness of his understanding. He was not requested to hitch the corporate after his apprenticeship however felt that was for one of the best. “I like the Limón approach and the folks I danced with, however I knew I wished extra.”
He carried out with the Radio Metropolis Christmas Spectacular for 2 seasons. He shares, “Dancing at Radio Metropolis was such enjoyable, however virtually the precise reverse of Limón. At Limón, we labored a lot on dancing collectively, utilizing the breath as an initiation for motion, in addition to a approach to assist us dance collectively as an organization. At Radio Metropolis, it was sharp, clear, and all the pieces had a rely. It was about precision whereas sharing the enjoyment of Christmas.” With a smile, he provides, “I may be fairly the ham and love performing, so two to 4 reveals a day about Christmas got here fairly naturally for me.” He gained confidence that he might push himself and excel in several types of dancing if he put his thoughts to it.
After Radio Metropolis, he danced with the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) for three-and-a-half years. He joined the corporate in January 2020, proper after Radio Metropolis completed, and felt what he describes as whiplash from the variations within the qualities of motion. He was excited to bounce for Morris, however the pandemic hit, and three months into his new job, town was in quarantine. “Studying a brand new firm tradition and approach of transferring whereas alone in your small condominium was insane, to say the least,” MaliQ reveals. “Fortunately, I used to be one in every of three new hires, and with them, I used to be capable of finding some assist.”
Navigating a well-established firm like Morris was not a simple feat. “There was virtually an unstated hierarchy throughout the firm, which truthfully didn’t hassle me an excessive amount of.” A starvation to enhance led him to hunt out recommendation from the senior dancers and study from them, together with survive within the firm. “I realized a lot about my physique, the textures I deliver to motion, dance with others, and work with somebody like Mark.” He feels that dancing in MMDG taught him he’s really a chameleon. “It was onerous, however I felt I used to be in a position to mix into the ensemble despite the fact that I used to be new.”
It took him a very long time to comprehend it, however he felt he had star high quality and deserved to be seen. “I left MMDG as a result of I wished extra from my profession. I cherished dancing with my friends, however I used to be not being seen by the director,” MaliQ says. “I’ve all the time had a love for musical theater and Broadway however was afraid I wouldn’t be capable to make it.” It took some braveness, however he dove off the deep finish and ended up in an off-Broadway present known as A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Wonderland.
Quite than succumb to nervousness, he put his religion in his capability. “If I’ve realized something from my profession thus far, it’s that if I put my thoughts to it, I can obtain something.” The dancing got here simply, however singing provided a totally new problem. “It was a tremendous expertise as a result of I struggled like by no means earlier than, however as a result of I persevered, I’ve by no means felt so achieved.”
This passionate entertainer is just not happy with simply performing. “I like choreographing and creating,” he says. “I’ve been having these artistic urges once more, which has been thrilling, so perhaps I’ll get again into it.” In reality, he and fellow Juilliard alum Tatum Robertson have obtained a grant to create a chunk of labor and hope to share it with audiences quickly. MaliQ’s present tasks embrace dancing for Caitlin Trainor’s firm, Trainor Dance, and vocal coaching. That retains him busy, and he has his sights set on Broadway.
When requested if he might inform his youthful self something, he says, “Comply with your intestine.” He feels he spent a whole lot of time listening to what others thought was greatest for him. “Simply because somebody is older or extra skilled doesn’t imply they know what’s greatest for me,” MaliQ provides. “For those who comply with your instinct, I promise you’ll dodge a lot heartache and wasted time.” For the younger hopefuls, he advises that there isn’t a timeline for fulfillment. He says soulfully, “The one approach you gained’t obtain your dream is in case you hand over. We’re all on our personal paths, so don’t enable another person’s to persuade you that you simply’ve failed. Hold going; I promise you’ll make it.”
You possibly can comply with MaliQ on Instagram: @maliqizhere.
By Mary Carpenter of Dance Informa.
